Conversations with Liberty Music Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liberty Music Academy.

Hi Liberty Music, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Liberty Music Academy was founded in 2019 by Belmont Alums Cassidy Gephart and Arianna Hume. These recent graduates shared the same vision – to offer a music learning environment that helps to develop well-rounded young musicians. What started out as a few students meeting for weekly lessons at a tiny two-room church in Brentwood has now grown into a huge family of parents, students, and instructors that all call LMA home. We quickly learned that we could offer music instruction that reached far beyond that of typical voice, piano, and guitar lessons because of our diverse background in the music industry and our never-ending love of learning.

Today, when our students show a new interest in the realm of music, such as music technology, songwriting, composition, and much more, we are equipped with the tools and knowledge to foster and develop that new avenue of learning, even if it reaches beyond their primary instrument. Truly, LMA is the place where budding musicians can become well-rounded and performance-ready artists. And we achieve this vision by catering private lessons to the individual needs and desires of each student, building community among students through group collaborations and performance classes, and always providing new avenues and opportunities for students to showcase their talent and artistry.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building a new business is always a challenge for sure, however, with the amazing growth we’ve experienced as a studio combined with the awesome parents and students that have supported us at LMA, we’ve been able to roll with the punches and continually adapt, grow, and develop into something that’s better than we could have ever imagined!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Hey, Cassidy here. I started playing piano at the age of three and never stopped! Although I excelled in the classical piano tradition, by the time I needed to decide what I was going to study for my college, I determined that I didn’t want to pursue a career in classical music. In high school, I had a growing interest in writing my own music and I was interested in learning other disciplines and styles of music. I received my Bachelor of Commercial Music with an emphasis in commercial piano performance. During my time in college, I not only developed as a pianist but as a songwriter and composer as well. After graduating in 2017, I started teaching piano lessons as my main source of income, while doing free-lance music work on the side. I quickly realized I had a passion for being able to provide instruction to students that I didn’t personally receive until the collegiate level.

Admittedly, although I excelled as a classical musician at a young age, I didn’t have a passion for music until studying music outside the classical tradition. I think my experience of not loving the piano until later in life has given me a great perspective on what needs to be done to ensure my students develop a love for the piano in our lessons. Amidst starting LMA and gigging around town with local bands, I have also been working hard on writing and recording my first full-length album, Clarity. I am proud to be nearing the final stages of completing this record and releasing it in 2022! I’m so grateful for a career that allows for so much challenging and fulfilling creative work!

This is Arianna! Like Cassidy, I have a background in Classical voice and also church music, but started to explore other genres while studying at Belmont (also graduating with a degree in Commerical Music plus music technology). Today I’m a full-time freelance vocalist and feel so incredibly grateful to do what I love for a living. I would say that’s also what I’m most proud of today – the fact that I’ve built a career for myself entirely in music in a town where it seems like everyone has some connection to the music industry. Teaching and growing our business together is definitely one of my favorite parts of my job, and I am so lucky to have a partner like Cassidy to work with. When not teaching or brainstorming for our next student opportunity at LMA, you might find me in the studio recording vocals for local songwriters, artists, and producers, gigging around town or out on the road, or maybe even featuring in a music video shoot – every week is a new adventure!

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Going with a more traditional career path would have definitely been the safer move for both of us, however, because we both have these passions and ideas we care deeply about, we decided to follow an entrepreneurial route, which never guarantees success (but is more fun for sure!) We are so grateful that we took the “riskier” move and now have a successful and thriving music studio to show for it.

Pricing:

• 30 minute lessons (per month) – $120
• 60 minute lessons (per month) – $225

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.libertymusicacademytn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertymusicacademytn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyMusicAcademyTN
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4xAj3vjS_UvtLMYjOE-AdqvQvdkiQoJ6
• Other: https://nextdoor.com/pages/liberty-music-academy-brentwood-tn/